fall guy

American  

noun

Slang.

1. an easy victim.

2. a scapegoat.

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fall guy British  

noun

1. a person who is the victim of a confidence trick

2. a scapegoat

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fall guy Idioms  

1. A scapegoat, one who is blamed for the actions of others. For example, He refused to be the fall guy for his colleagues . This expression uses fall in the sense of “consequences” or “blame,” which originated in prison slang. [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see take the fall .

2. An easy victim, one who is readily duped. For example, His friends had marked him as the fall guy—they knew he would believe their ruse . [ Slang ; early 1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of fall guy

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

In Japan, the BOJ is the government’s fall guy.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

Carl’s duplicitous behavior, meanwhile, leads Roy to think his brother is planning to make him the fall guy for their mutual misdeeds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

And then, the entire edifice crumbled as Baltimore became the focus and fall guy for one of the more infamous investigations of scientific misconduct in the last half of the 20th century.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

Mr. Ray had been sentenced to prison without a trial, but later recanted, saying that he was the fall guy for an expansive conspiracy linking the F.B.I., the mafia and the U.S. military.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

I said they’re looking for a fall guy and you’re nominated.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• patsy
• scapegoat
• whipping boy